‘Pitbull,’ Carvalho tangle after extra wait
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Patricio Freire and Pedro Carvalho have waited eight extra months for their Bellator featherweight grand prix matchup, but it’s finally here.
Tonight at Bellator 252 from Mohegan Sun Arena, dual champion “Pitbull” Freire (30-4) will fight Carvalho (11-3) after another tournament quarterfinal between Daniel Weichel (40-11) and Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) on CBS Sports Network.
This past March, the fighters made weight the day before their originally scheduled bouts. They never made the walk to the cage, however, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world. With major sports organizations shutting down, Bellator followed suit and canceled the card.
“That’s the crazy thing to me: The tournament is continuing, but it’s continuing here at the Mohegan Sun in a closed environment,” Bellator President Scott Coker told USA TODAY Sports. “It gave me flashbacks to the day we had to pull the plug, right as COVID was really starting to become a reality.”
With the grand prix resuming now, the fighters are back and eager to finally make that walk – especially Freire, who has long served as one of the faces of Bellator.
“(Carvalho) is really hungry for this title,” the Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s Conor McGregor’s teammate. That is a well-prepared team, so I am expecting the best possible fighter on the other side, but ... (he should) prepare to be eliminated from the tournament.”
Portugal’s Carvalho echoed Freire’s enthusiasm but predicted a different outcome.
“I could have been the world champion back in March,” Carvalho told USA TODAY Sports. “After so many more months of training, I have no doubt that I will be the new champion. I will shock the world.”
Six fighters currently remain in the tournament. The other side of the bracket is in the semifinals stage, with A.J. McKee (16-0) and Darrion Caldwell (14-3) fighting Nov. 19. The winner of the final, which is expected to take place in
2021, will be crowned 145-pound champion and earn $1 million.